The car has about 5000 miles on it. Always garaged kept, handwashed weekly, sealed with swissvax.

The car has NEVER been machine washed. Even when I took delivery, the car was not washed.
There are 0 swirls on the car.
0 curb rash on the weels.
Broken in properly and never even valet parked the car.
Never ate in the car or smoked.
0 paint chips.
Everything is pretty much mint.

From delivery, I got a new car detail, and the entire front end was sealed with a clear bra from Premier Automotive (hood, bumper, headlights, a pillars, mirrors, side skirts, front quarter panel#, along with 35% tint all around and 70% on the front windshield with diamond cut IR. Tint guard in the doors were also installed.
(approx 4k job)

As of now, the current payments are approx 525/month, for 60 months, with a balloon payment of 25k at the end.

I put 25k down, and have been paying the monthly payment since June 2011(20 payments).

The car has been stored in a car jacket with a battery tender since October 2011.

Currently I am overseas, and don't plan on returning for a bit longer, and starting to realize it's not such a good idea to keep paying for a car that I'm not driving.

The E90 is such a perfect car, and although it kills me to even think about letting this car go, it might be the right decision. My only hope is I hope to be back in the states in time to at least get a new E92 M3 while it's still available.

So anyway.

If were to sell this car, how much of that downpayment would I be able to get back?
What would the the best procedure to sell this car?
Should I keep I just keep it?

Any info or advice would be helpful. Flame away if you want. I'll take it
Thanks for reading everyone.

The way you have treated that car, I would say keep it. You would be hard pressed to find another like that in the future. Plus, from what I understand, people that put large deposits on leases end up losing quite a bit of money. Dont know firsthand, never leased, but its what I hear.
Keep your beautiful car. Its like a loyal dog that only greets you right when you get home after a long trip. You missed it, and after being a way for a while, you go out and play and you have a blast. Just this dog costs you a few more bucks to keep every month.

The time to sell that E90 M3 is now, just before the new F80 M3 shows up and take a $5-$7000 chunk out of your selling price.

KBB puts the best value of your car at around $54,000. I would say, sale price is $55,000 and expect no less than $53,000 for it. If you are not going to be in the USA during the sale then you must set some legal documentation with somebody trustworthy that can do the job for you. Or simply take a quick trip and sell the car to CarMax -you may lose some value but perhaps you may be surprised. Only you can determine how much money are you are wiling to lose in here -if any at all. For sure, you should be able to get your $25,000 back if this is done right.

Can you afford to keep paying it off? If so, KEEP IT! When you're able to use the car, it will be payed for and you'll have a virtually brand new V8 M3. What's not to like about that? Why get a coupe when you have a mint sedan?? You will only lose money.

I would deal directly with the dealership where I purchased the e90. Let them go and look at your car and get there price as a trade in (in the case at hand what the cash return on the 25K down payment and the 20 payments less depreciation would be). Then work out with them what the new e92 M should have then evaluate the situation.

I would not only deal with the original dealership where I purchased the car I would also find another dealership near by and inishiate the same request.

Also I would let both dealerships know that I am not only looking at them for a final price ... This will make sure you get a good price. In the end you are looking at 2 results before you.

Remember your now almost new e90 M is in high demand since production has ended for now of the Sedan.

Wait, you're total out of pocket for this car is going to be $81K? $25K down, $5XX/Mo, and another $25K at the end? Holy cow.

If you're certain you're not going to drive it and get an use of out it, cut your losses now and get rid of it. As Technic stated, try Carmax. They are hit or miss, but for a new model with low miles, they'll likely pay out well.

Just for some clarification, the only reason why I'm considering the E92 later down the line is because I will be able to afford the payments for that car later on, but it's tough as of now. This is why I'm thinking of the E92. Personally I prefer the looks of the E90.

The time to sell that E90 M3 is now, just before the new F80 M3 shows up and take a $5-$7000 chunk out of your selling price.

KBB puts the best value of your car at around $54,000. I would say, sale price is $55,000 and expect no less than $53,000 for it. If you are not going to be in the USA during the sale then you must set some legal documentation with somebody trustworthy that can do the job for you. Or simply take a quick trip and sell the car to CarMax -you may lose some value but perhaps you may be surprised. Only you can determine how much money are you are wiling to lose in here -if any at all. For sure, you should be able to get your $25,000 back if this is done right.

Good luck.

Agree and disagree.

Agree that the E90 M3 will take an immediate value hit in 3 months when the Concept F80 M3 debuts.

Disagree that he can get $55K. His cosmetic mods add <$500 value to the selling price, although mileage and condition are definitely helping out. I think a more realistic number is $50K. Remember, the car will be half-way done with warranty in the coming months. And it's missing DCT, which is the more popular transmission choice. It won't be hard to sell of course, but 6MT is always associated with a lower selling price because of the high option cost of MDCT.

Take this advice from someone who sold a low-mileage 2012 E92 M3 just two months ago

Just for some clarification, the only reason why I'm considering the E92 later down the line is because I will be able to afford the payments for that car later on, but it's tough as of now. This is why I'm thinking of the E92. Personally I prefer the looks of the E90.

What about a refi? It's typically a bad idea but maybe in your circumstance it could work.

You owe 46k into the future on the car 40 payments @ $525 plus a balloon of $25k. Please check your lease to see if any prepayment issues exist. We can all debate the value - it is only what in fact someone will pay you for it - a 50k+ target makes sense. If it is with BMW finance you are probably in a better position than if it was done through a third party. I agree that contacting the selling dealer to see what if anything they could give you back is a good idea. They will also have the best information on the financing arrangements you entered. The dealer will set the purchase price based on any number of factors - including the payoff of that financing. You are correct this is not a good financial decistion to pay for a car you are not driving that will continue to depreciate.

You owe 46k into the future on the car 40 payments @ $525 plus a balloon of $25k. Please check your lease to see if any prepayment issues exist. We can all debate the value - it is only what in fact someone will pay you for it - a 50k+ target makes sense. If it is with BMW finance you are probably in a better position than if it was done through a third party. I agree that contacting the selling dealer to see what if anything they could give you back is a good idea. They will also have the best information on the financing arrangements you entered. The dealer will set the purchase price based on any number of factors - including the payoff of that financing. You are correct this is not a good financial decistion to pay for a car you are not driving that will continue to depreciate.

OP was this financed using BMW select? If so, is it titled in your name?

Agree that the E90 M3 will take an immediate value hit in 3 months when the Concept F80 M3 debuts.

Disagree that he can get $55K. His cosmetic mods add <$500 value to the selling price, although mileage and condition are definitely helping out. I think a more realistic number is $50K. Remember, the car will be half-way done with warranty in the coming months. And it's missing DCT, which is the more popular transmission choice. It won't be hard to sell of course, but 6MT is always associated with a lower selling price because of the high option cost of MDCT.

Take this advice from someone who sold a low-mileage 2012 E92 M3 just two months ago

Go find me a 2011.75 E90 as clean as this one for $50K please! He can eeeaasily get $55K+ for his car in SoCal.

I also completely disagree with your comment about DCT being the "preferred" choice of transmission. That is almost deducting $$$ from his car for not being the "preferred" AW / FR combo.... It is a personal choice.

And this is coming from some one who recently sold a low mileage M3 for $10K more than what you are saying the car is worth!

-OP: If you are going to end up buying another E9X, I would keep the one that you purchased brand new. I clearly have no idea about your financial situation but it sounds like this is more of a financial decision for you. I would advertise the car at $56.5K and probably let it go for $55K. This of course also depends on what kind of a hurry you are in and how flexible you are to be able to conduct the transaction from overseas.

You can "ask" $55K all day long, but let's be real. If you're going to move it, it will need to be closer to $50K. There are too many on the market in this price range just gathering dust, and once the F80 M3 is shown, you can bet more will hit the Classifieds.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TTG

I also completely disagree with your comment about DCT being the "preferred" choice of transmission. That is almost deducting $$$ from his car for not being the "preferred" AW / FR combo.... It is a personal choice.

I didn't say it was the "preferred" tranny option, only that it is more popular. Since DCT is more popular than 6MT, it can also be concluded that it is more preferred among all buyer sets. I'm not arguing one is better than the other. Rather, DCT is more commonly preferred, and brings a premium in price, in part due to its initial option cost premium over 6MT.

Your color combo argument is not applicable because AW/FR doesn't cost any more than JzB/Blk. DCT costs more than 6MT and a portion of that premium translates into selling price, for newer cars.

I would get rid of it and hold off until you can truly afford and enjoy one. Do you realize at the end of your 60 months you will have paid $81,500 for your car!? And even more if you refinance the $25k balloon!

You can "ask" $55K all day long, but let's be real. If you're going to move it, it will need to be closer to $50K. There are too many on the market in this price range just gathering dust, and once the F80 M3 is shown, you can bet more will hit the Classifieds.

I didn't say it was the "preferred" tranny option, only that it is more popular. Since DCT is more popular than 6MT, it can also be concluded that it is more preferred among all buyer sets. I'm not arguing one is better than the other. Rather, DCT is more commonly preferred, and brings a premium in price, in part due to its initial option cost premium over 6MT.

Your color combo argument is not applicable because AW/FR doesn't cost any more than JzB/Blk. DCT costs more than 6MT and a portion of that premium translates into selling price, for newer cars.

Its pretty much almost a 50/50 for tranny choices. I do believe the DCT has a slight advantage but not my much.

Beautiful car! It will be very hard to find a buyer that will be willing to give you a big downpayment, your payments are nice and low the E90 is no longer produced. I say hang onto it and enjoy it when you get back home.

You can "ask" $55K all day long, but let's be real. If you're going to move it, it will need to be closer to $50K. There are too many on the market in this price range just gathering dust, and once the F80 M3 is shown, you can bet more will hit the Classifieds.

Those cars have 3-4 times the miles with replaced and painted hoods, tuned or altered with some way.

IMO OP has a great fully stock car that is actually hard to find.

You are right... if he needs to get out of it now. He needs to have an aggressive price for sure. You are never ahead when you are need to sell something now.